Apocalyptic Future
by Data Girl 3
Summary: Roger, during an attempt at rewiring a television, has an accident that somehow sends him twenty years into the future.
1. Prologue

"Ow! Sh-t! Come on, you stupid…." Roger shouted, banging a fist against the television set which had broken down, prompting the musician to try and fix it

"Hey, Roger," Emily called from the metal table where she and Mark were playing a round of Battleship and Mimi was teaching Penny how to braid a friendship bracelet. "You know, one phone call, and we can have someone come down here and do that job the way it was meant to be done. I'd be more then happy to take care of the bill."

"Thanks, Emily. But I got it under control."

"I hate to remind you, babe," Mimi giggled, glancing over at her boyfriend. "But you said the same thing over five minutes ago, and you're still fooling around with that thing."

"I said, I can handle it!" Roger groaned.

"Mimi?" Emily sighed in exasperation. "Perchè gli uomini devono sempre essere così macho?" (_Why do men always have to be so macho?_) Roger couldn't help but look up, the expression on his face a combination of a confused frown and a scowl when he head Mimi laughing in response to Emily's question. Ever since Mimi had taught Emily Spanish, and Emily had, in turn, taught Mimi Italian, they often had small conversations using their consecutive native tongues, and sometimes, using the other's language. They always alternated, mostly because Spanish and Italian shared many similarities, so Mark and Roger were never sure exactly which language they were using, which made their attempts at translation difficult.

"I-4," Emily called, returning to the game she and Mark were playing. Mark glanced down at his board and after a brief hesitation, let out a groan of defeat.

"Hit," Mark sighed. "And you sunk my sub: my last piece. You never loose at this game, do you?"

"Hasn't happened yet," Emily grinned. At that moment, Penny's stomach started to growl.

"Hungry, Penny?" Mimi smiled.

"Yeah."

"Okay then. Who's up for Chinese?" Emily announced.

"We can't afford Chinese," Mark pointed out.

"We can if we go to Mr. Yao's place. Even though the Center's been closed for over a year, he still gives me frequent customer discounts." Mark laughed in appreciation.

"Between your numerous 'frequent customer discounts' at lower Manhattan's restaurants and your gourmet cooking skills, Emily, I sometimes wonder how we ever managed before meeting you."

"Roger, are you coming?" Mimi asked, crouching down beside him. Roger barely looked up from his fiddling with the television's wiring.

"You go down, Meems. I'll come join you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay, just don't take too long." Mimi kissed Roger's rough cheek before leaving with Mark, Emily, and Penny. For the next five minutes, Roger continued to mess around with the television wiring. Finally, he managed to hook them up in an arrangement that looked right. However, one blue wire still was unattached at one end.

"Great. Now where do you go?" Looking around, Roger finally noticed one bolt that he overlooked. Grunting, he went to attach the blue wire to the bolt. However, the second the two connected, a sudden electrical surge rippled out into him. Roger's entire body went rigid for half a minute before the surge stopped. Instantly, his muscles unclenched, allowing him to fall back onto the Loft floor, unconscious.

* * *

The first thing that Roger was aware of was the dull throbbing pain throughout his entire body. Groaning, he forced himself into a sitting position.

"Oh, man," he moaned. "How long was I out?" Roger opened his eyes to check his watch, but the sight waiting for him left him stunned. He was in the Loft, but it was completely different. The entire place was in even worse shape then it usually was. The old couch was completely ripped to shreds with a large gaping hole in the seat cushions, and the metal table was coated with a thick layer of rust. The pipes on the wall were so brittle, they had snapped in two. Around the floor and shelves, the empty beer bottles were dusty and clouded over. The entire place looked like it had been abandoned for decades. But there was one thing that made those differences seem insignificant. The entire wall that held the window that he'd looked out of so many times, the one Mimi had come through like Peter Pan that one time. It was gone. Almost as if something had torn it right off.

"What the …" Roger slowly moved forward to look out onto the street. Once again, the sight made him flinch in shock. Everything was completely devastated and destroyed, looking as if a storm of bombs had rampaged through the entire neighborhood. "Oh, Go… What happened!?"


	2. Familiar Faces

Roger jogged down the once familiar streets of Alphabet City, trying to find anything that looked the same, but to no avail. Everywhere he looked was like a war zone.

"MIMI!" Roger shouted out. "MARK! EMILY! IS ANYBODY THERE?" His cries were answered with only echoes. He could honestly say that he was starting to get scared. He'd do just about anything for even a glimpse of a familiar face. Even the Man would be a welcome sight about now. Finally, after walking for nearly a mile, he collapsed onto the crumbling curb.

What happened to the city? Was this just some bizarre dream? Yes, that had to be it. It was a very bad dream. Roger pinched his arm in attempt to wake up, but nothing happened. Groaning in frustration and despair, he placed his face in his hands and slid them up to run through his hair. At that moment, a movement in the corner of his eye made him look up. There was someone moving around the corner. A sudden feeling of relief washed over Roger. Finally, someone who could give him answers. He quickly got up and headed down the street after the person, but froze momentarily when the person entered a building. It was the Life Café, or what _used _to be the Life Café. Now it looked like an old whiskey bar and was filled with middle-aged men. By now, however, Roger was getting used to surprises, and entered the establishment. No one paid much attention to him as he looked around.

"Hey," the bartender turned to Roger. "What you fancy?"

"Just get me a stiff drink," Roger sighed, wanting something to help calm his nerves a bit. As Roger drank, he slowly became aware that there was someone speaking within a nearby group. Speaking with a very familiar voice. Roger spun around to look at the speaker and nearly doubled over in shock. There was a long scar along his bald skull, and he was sporting a prosthetic arm, but it was still him. In a flash, Roger was across the room.

"I don't believe it!" Roger gasped. "Benny! Is it really you?!"

"Mr. Coffin, do you _know _this person?" One of Benny's associates asked as Benny studied Roger closely, an unreadable look on his face.

"I'm terribly sorry," Benny finally spoke, lightly tugging the lapel of his business suit. "But do I know you?"

"Ben! It's Roger! What happened to the city? Where are the guys? Come on, Benny, I just want to know what's going on!"

"Mr. Coffin," a group of men suddenly appeared behind Roger. "Is this man bothering you?"

"No! We're... we're old friends!" Roger insisted. "Come on, Benny! You have to help me out here!" At that moment, a sudden beeping was heard. Roger glanced down to see his AZT beeper was going off. Instinctively, he reached into his pocket for the pills, but then remembered. His AZT was in the medicine cabinet of the Loft. The medicine cabinet that was now rusted shut.

"Fu-k! My AZT," Roger growled.

"Your _what_?" One of the men snapped harshly. "Isn't that an old _AIDS _medicine?"

"So what if it is?" Roger blinked.

"You come with us," the group of men suddenly grabbed Roger's arms and began to drag him to the back of the room.

"Hey! Let go!" Roger demanded. "Benny, come on!" Benny turned away and returned to talking with his associates.

"Sorry about that interruption. Now what were you telling me?" The group of men dragged the struggling Roger out through the back door where a vehicle resembling a moving van was waiting with the back doors open.

"Stop! Where are you taking me?" Roger demanded. He was answered by a hard blow over the head.

"Get him in," one of the strangers barked. "Take him to the processing camp, like the rest of them." Processing camp? Roger had no idea what that meant, but the way this guy said it made him understand that it wasn't a place he'd want to be. His struggles grew more desperate, but he was out-muscled three to one. Just before Roger was forced into the back of the truck, the entire alleyway was suddenly filled with thick smoke, making it impossible for Roger to see anything. At that moment, a firm hand clamped onto his wrist. Looking up, he was shocked at the sight of a figure in a dull gray body suit with a red-plated mask built into a helmet concealing his face.

"Don't stand there!" the figure demanded. "Come on, before the smoke cover dies down!" Roger blinked in confusion, but quickly decided that it was probably best to obey. Roger allowed the figure to lead him out of the back alley and through the streets, taking so many twists and turns, he started to worry that they'd get lost. Finally the figure lead him into one of the crumbling buildings were they stopped near a decrepit fireplace. At first Roger was going to shout at this new person for leading them to a place where they'd be cornered. But the figure surprised him by revealing a secret entrance to another room beneath the fireplace's log grate.

"Get in, quick!" the figure demanded. Roger quickly obeyed, hearing their pursuers coming nearer. Roger and his savior managed to safely hide themselves in the secret passage mere seconds before the group of men entered. For five tense minutes, they searched the building, but soon gave up. Only once the immediate danger of discovery had passed that Roger found the energy to speak.

"Okay, that's it. Who are you?" he demanded, turning to the figure. "What happened to the city? Who were those guys? What's going on?"

"_I_ should be the one asking _you _the questions, Davis," the figure replied.

"Wha… you… how'd you know my name?" The figure didn't reply. Instead he removed his helmet, revealing that he was actually a female. The woman was about twenty-nine in age, with long strawberry blond hair made up in the same style as Mimi's and gray-blue eyes that looked just like….

Roger's green eyes widened in shock. No. It couldn't be. Could it?

"P…Penny?" Roger whispered.

"It's been a long time, Mr. Roger," Penny smiled widely. "A _very_ long time."

* * *

**AN:** Sorry I made Benny seem like a jerk in this chapter. There's a reason he acts that way, I promice. All questions will be answered soon.


	3. Answers

"No. You can't be Penny," Roger shook his head. "Penny's just a lit…"

"Hey, do you think it's easy for me to believe that you're Roger?" Penny glared. "Look at you! You haven't aged a day! This is besides the fact you should be dead from the AIDS by now."

"What?" Roger breathed. Penny sighed heavily, glancing down at her feet for a moment before looking back at him.

"Roger, that day that Mom, Mark, Mimi and I went out for Chinese, leaving you with that television set; that was twenty years ago."

"Twenty years?!" Roger fell to the ground, stunned. "But… but how?" Penny reached into a small bag hanging from her belt and removed a folded piece of green paper, handing it to Roger. He opened it to see it was a small homemade flier with his picture on it, along with some personal information. The words '_Missing_' were printed along the top.

"You disappeared, Roger," Penny went on. "No one could figure out what happened to you. Officer Kurtz kept the search on for two months past the usual cut-off point. Your parents even came down to help us look." Penny paused for a moment, watching Roger stare at his Missing poster before letting out a tired sigh and going on. "You should have seen Mimi. She kept a candle burning in the Loft window every day and night, up until the day we had to evacuate the building. She refused to believe you were dead." Roger felt a warm tear start to slide down his cheek. Twenty years. Had he really bypassed twenty years?

"Penny," Roger finally spoke. "Could you, uh, tell me what's happened to the city since I've been gone?"

"I'm not quite sure how it happened," Penny explained. "But there was a man who got into the government. He had a lot of connections. Made a lot of promises that appealed to a lot of people. Somehow rose up to become the most popular man in America. His name is Perelli. After making it to the top, he continued his acts of coming up with new policies. They were always worded so well, almost all of America hung on his every word, and those policies became a reality. But there were a small handful of people who actually bothered to read between the lines of his new policies. They saw that Perelli's policies and laws were actually making the long-established government come apart, piece by piece, until Perelli became a supreme ruler over all of America. Mom, at one point, even called him the next Hitler, mostly because, at first, because of his way with words, even Americans thought he was a nice guy.

"In any event, Perelli soon controlled everything. His word became law. Those men you encountered earlier are part of his group of enforcers. That's one of Perelli's policies, one of the first that were accepted because the majority of Americans didn't realize what he was intending. They found out about your HIV, didn't they?"

"What's that got to do…?"

"Roger don't you get it? They were taking you to a processing camp. It's a place where people with AIDS are shipped off to, and are then virtually left to die. You go there, and, from the second you set foot in the camp, you no longer exist or matter. Let me spell it out for you. People go in there. But food and medicine don't."

"WHAT!?" Roger gaped.

"Perelli's policy, the one he promised first, was to eliminate the problem of AIDS in the modern society. He eliminated it, all right. He eliminated it by rounding up everyone who had it and isolating them to a place where they are no longer seen as living beings."

"What happened… to the others, Penny?" Roger asked hesitantly. Did he really want to know?

"I told you before, Roger. Some of us saw Perelli's true colors from the start. We came together shortly after he publicly revealed them. We've been fighting him ever since, guerrilla style. Our group is small, but it is gradually growing slowly as time progresses. This passage, in fact, leads to our Alpha Base."

"Take me there," Roger demanded.

"How'd I know you were going to say that?" Penny grinned. "All right. Come on." As Penny and Roger journeyed down the passageway, Roger spoke again.

"Penny? If you don't mind me asking, who else is still alive? What happened to Mimi? To Mark? To Collins? To…"

"Collins was one of the first the Enforcers came for," Penny stated quickly. "Let's just say… Collins would not allow them to take him alive. He went down fighting. Please do not ask me anymore. At least not yet."

"But… Mimi!" Roger persisted. "If it's been twenty years… by now, she died from AIDS, too, right? Or did… _they _get…."

"ROGER!" Penny snapped, turning on him. "I told you. PLEASE do not ask me that." Roger stopped, seeing the enraged and hurt tears in Penny's eyes, wisely deciding not to push a subject that was obviously painful for her to think about. However, seeing Penny's reaction placed a strong feeling of hurt and foreboding on his heart. For Penny to act like that, something terrible must have happened to Mimi. If that was the case, did he want to know? Roger quickly pushed those fears aside for later, and followed Penny down to the Alpha Base.

* * *

**AN:** That's where I'm leaving you for now. The fate of the other Bohemians will be revealed in time. So, until next time...


	4. Settling In

Roger and Penny moved through a long stone tunnel that had old flood lights fastened to the ceiling.

"We leech our power from the buildings above, specifically the places Perelli's enforcers frequently go," Penny explained. "So, Roger. You're saying you can't remember _anything _after you were working on that television?"

"No. I must have passed out after that shock, and when I woke up…" Roger waved his hand as if to say '_all of this happened_'. "Penny, there's something that's real important. I didn't have my AZT on me when I had the accident, so…"

"I understand. But you have to realize, after Perelli took over, the production of AIDS medications ceased." A deeply worried expression instantly appeared on Roger's face. "I wasn't finished, Roger. The pills can still be obtained in an underground black market. We keep a small store set aside. Mom insisted on it. We'll get you some once we get you settled."

"Thank you." The two continued to walk in silence for the rest of the journey, until they came to a door made of wood and steel. Penny opened the door and led Roger into a large dome-topped room where a large handful of people were moving about in dull gray bodysuits that all matched Penny's. The group of people all looked up in surprise at Roger.

"Penelope!" one of the men in the room spoke sternly. "You brought an outsider in here?! He could be one of Perelli's spies!"

"My name is Penny, first of all," the strawberry blond haired girl replied. "And I assure you that this man can be trusted. You can ask the other Bohemian survivors if you want conformation, Tyler."

"They are off on a supply run at the moment," Tyler frowned. "As to when they'll be back…" At that moment, another door in the room opened and two women entered. The first was African American in decent with long shoulder length hair done up in multiple braids. The other woman, whose head had been completely shaved, was olive-skinned.

"Tyler, Penny," the African American woman began. "What's the troub…?" The woman stopped at the sight of Roger, and she and her companion stared in shock. "No. It _can't _be." Roger's jaw dropped as he was able to recognize the two women.

"Joanne? Emily?" The three old friends stood frozen for a moment, before Joanne dashed forward, giving Roger a warm, friendly hug.

"Roger! I can't believe it! You're alive!" Joanne laughed.

"Wow! Joanne, it's so great to see you!" Roger turned to greet Emily as well, but his grateful smile disappeared when he saw the stern, serious look on her face.

"Roger," Emily spoke flatly with a nod. "Well, like they say. Better late then never." Emily continued to look at him without emotion for a bit longer, then turned and left the room. "I'm taking the supplies to the storage facility." Emily announced. "I'll see you all at morning meal tomorrow."

"You'll have to forgive Mom, Roger," Penny apologized solemnly. "She's been like that since she went on an assignment ten years ago, at one of Perelli's testing facilities."

"Testing facilities?"

"Believe me, Roger," Joanne said. "Perelli does know about us, and he works to employ biological warfare to fight against us. The testing facilities work on creating his weapons. Ten years ago, Emily and Mimi were assigned to infiltrate one of the facilities. They succeeded, but at a price. After that night, Emily became stone serious, and as hard and unforgiving as ice. I can only imagine what happened to her in that facility, because she's never mentioned it to anyone." For a moment, Roger was tempted to ask about Mimi, but the memory of Penny's reaction stopped him from doing so. His thoughts were interrupted when another figure entered the room. Roger stiffened at the sight of Benny.

"Roger. You've made it. Thank…"

"YOU JERK!" Roger leapt at Benny, landing a punch on his jaw. "How could you just let those enforcers…?"

"Roger, stop!" Penny cried. "Benny _had _to act that way, otherwise his cover would have been blown!"

"What cover?"

"Benny's our mole," Joanne explained. "He works in Perelli's organization, but he secretly uses his position to act as a spy for our cause."

"It was essential for him to act like he didn't know you," Penny went on. "We depend on him for information on Perelli's actions."

"I'm just glad you managed to get there in time to save him, Penny," Benny sighed.

"It was cut pretty close, Benny. If you had signaled me with the hidden button in your lapel a second later, I never would have gotten there in time." Roger looked at Benny for a second. He was a spy for them?

"So, you're helping _us _now? There's a first."

"Roger!" Joanne scolded.

"No, Joanne. It's alright," Benny smiled. "I've known Roger longer then you have. It's common for him to bear grudges. But for what it's worth, Roger, I _am _sorry. For everything. And I am working hard to make up for all of that." Roger looked away and shrugged.

"Come on, Roger," Joanne sighed finally. "We should get you settled into this place."

"Joanne, he needs to stop at the AZT stores as soon as possible. He doesn't have any on him," Penny imputed.

"Of course. We'll make a detour for that," Joanne nodded. "Come on then, Roger." After a last glance at Penny and Benny, Roger turned to follow Joanne.

* * *

"This will be your room while you're here," Joanne opened one of the doors at the end of a long hall, revealing a hollowed out room containing a single bed, lamp and desk. "Is there anything I could get you? You must be hungry."

"Not really," Roger replied honestly, while dry swallowing one of the AZT pills. Joanne watched as Roger looked around his new room before sighing wearily.

"Roger, just so you know. You might be… I'm sorry, but we really don't know any way to send you back to the past. All things considered, you might be stuck in this age forever."

"I thought you'd say that," Roger nodded. "Thanks, Joanne." Joanne smiled sadly before closing the door. As soon as he was alone, Roger collapsed on the bed, everything he had experienced that day weighing down his brain.

"Mimi. Mark. I should have gone with you guys," he whispered as sleep overtook him. "I wish you were here, now."

* * *

**AN:** Hope you're all enjoying this story so far. I will reveal what happened to Maureen, Mark and Mimi in a later chapter, so you'll have to be patient. Until next time...


	5. Supply Run

From far away, Roger's half-asleep brain registered the sound of someone knocking on a door which brought him completely out of sleep. Without opening his eyes, he rolled over.

"Few more minutes, Mark," Roger called, a hand instinctively reaching out for Mimi. But when his hand met with only air, he opened his eyes and looked around at his room inside Alpha Base. Roger's face fell as the memories of the previous day returned. His sorrow was interrupted when the knock on the door came again. Sighing he got up to open it, revealing Emily on the other side, the same emotionless look on her face.

"I brought you breakfast," Emily held out an object resembling a rice cake.

"No thank you," Roger looked at his feet.

"Don't be an idiot," Emily scolded. "If what you told Penny was true, you haven't eaten since breakfast the day you disappeared. Now eat." Relenting, Roger took a bite from the rice cake as Emily continued speaking. "I'll be leaving on a supply run in about an hour. Joanne insisted that I ask you if you wished to accompany me. She said it would be good for you to get an idea of how life is in Alpha Base."

"What's a supply run?"

"We journey to what used to be Battery Park. That's where some merchants from the black market wait with food and other supplies for us, and anyone else who oppose Perelli. They do so at great risk to their lives. If Perelli's Enforcers found them, they'd be rounded up and sent to a processing camp straight away, or executed on the spot. It's a dangerous mission, for us and for them. But it's the only way to maintain our way of life in Alpha Base. Supply runs are required to involve two people, so if one of us is captured, the other can get the supplies back safely." Roger thought about it for a moment.

"I'm in," he nodded finally.

"In that case," Emily held out a gray body suit. "I hope it's the right fit. You change into that, and then head down to the entry room. I'll be waiting." With that, Emily turned and walked off.

* * *

Roger looked at the partially broken Salvation Army memorial, where a small group of people were rooting around piles of food and old electronics.

"Supplies next to that memorial. How fitting," he joked, trying in vain to get at least a smile from the stone-faced Emily.

"Open your supply bag, Roger, and get to work," Emily ordered, filling her bag with some fruit. "This is not the time or place for jokes."

"Sorry." Roger immediately copied Emily in filling his supply bag. He was seriously beginning to really miss the Emily that had been his friend. It was almost as if she was a completely different person, and Roger knew which he'd preferred.

At that moment, a loud noise was heard, and everyone stopped what they were doing instantly. Seconds before Roger could ask what was going on, the group of people scattered in every direction.

"Get moving!" Emily roughly yanked Roger to his feet and shoved him to get him running. The two managed to conceal themselves between one of the abandoned buildings and some bushes when a small army of Enforcers appeared. Before Roger's eyes, the ones who were not lucky enough to find hiding places were tackled by the Enforcers to be brutally beaten.

"Hurry. We need to head back to Alpha Base," Emily announced, pulling her supply bag over her shoulder.

"You can't be serious!" Roger turned to Emily incredulously. "Those people are going to…"

"There's nothing we can do for them. This is war. There will always be casualties. We can do nothing to alter that cold truth." Emily turned to leave, but Roger grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.

"The Emily I knew wouldn't abandon someone in need," Roger snarled. The one-time-photographer's eyes hardened.

"The Emily you knew, Roger, died long ago." The two glared at each other for a moment.

"Have it your way," Roger spat in disdain before hurrying off to help the others.

"Davis, you idiota," Emily hissed, clutching her supply bag and walking off.

* * *

A lone elderly man hugged his supply bag to his chest as an Enforcer cornered him against a crumbling wall of Castle Clinton.

"You know the law," the Enforcer barked. "Anyone caught taking part in an illegal activity is to be executed." The hapless man squeezed his eyes shut as the Enforcer removed his weapon to kill his captive. At that moment, Roger appeared out of nowhere and tackled the Enforcer.

"Yeah, you're tough against an old man, aren't you?" Roger growled. "How about trying your luck against me?"

Impudence!" The Enforcer lunged for Roger. For a time, they were evenly matched. But then the Enforcer, using an underhanded move, managed to strike a pressure point above Roger's knee, forcing him to the ground. "Execution is also the punishment for attacking an Enforcer! Perelli's word is law!" Roger watched as the Enforcer prepared to strike. Seconds before the fatal blow, however, the Enforcer went rigid, his eyes turning vacant and glassy. Roger watched in surprise as the Enforcer fell to the ground, revealing Emily, who was looking down at Roger with a sort of exasperated admiration.

"You haven't changed a bit, Roger," Emily sighed, reaching out a hand to help him up. "Still stubborn to a fault."

"Thanks, but… what happened to all that talk about how the old Emily was dead?" Roger smirked.

"You were taken from our lives before, and now Joanne and I are all that remains of the old family. Perhaps, now that you've returned, it's a sign of positive things. And… I seem to recall someone, long ago, telling me something along the lines of how there are _always _things worth fighting for." It took Roger a moment to remember the day Emily was referring to. The fact that his words had stayed with Emily after all this time caused him to break into a smile, which, to his pleasured surprise, Emily partially mirrored. At least her mouth looked less straight.

"Now we _must _head back to Alpha Base," Emily announced, handing Roger the supply bag he'd dropped.

"And what about him?" Roger looked over at the old man, who was looking shaken, but relieved that he'd been saved from death.

"I suppose he'll come with us," Emily shrugged. "What's your name, old man?"

"It's Jeff," The old man smiled.

* * *

** AN: **This chapter is partially filler. It's main purpose was to introduce Jeff, who provides a key element in the next chapter. I also wanted to show how the war against Perelli had affected Emily. More on why she changed is coming later. I hope to have the next chapter written soon. Until next time...


	6. Will I Wake Tomorrow

"Okay, let's get this straight," Jeff spoke skeptically as Roger helped the old man get settled into his room at Alpha Base. "It's the early 90s. You're messing around with this television, and bing-bang-boom. you're transported to this time."

"Well, that's the basic idea of it," Roger confirmed. "I'm sorry I can't explain it better, but I don't understand it myself." Jeff cast the musician a dubious look. "Yeah, I didn't think you'd believe me. But that's what happened. How else would you explain why I haven't aged in twenty years. I should be in my forties by now. Realistically, like Penny said, I should be dead because of my HIV."

"Oh, Penny. Is that the other girl from the supply run? The one with the shaved head?"

"No, Penny's her daughter. You're talking about Emily."

"Emily," Jeff frowned slightly. "Emily. I think I've heard of her. Yes, I remember! They talked about her in the Underground a year ago. The Enforcers managed to capture her husband and their only son during a supply run."

"Her husband?" Roger gaped.

"Yes. The son's body was found floating around in the bay. He was only fifteen. They never found any sign of Emily's husband. I suppose that's why your friend had her head shaved, as a sign of eternal mourning."

"I guess that makes sense," Roger nodded, while thinking. "Her mom and dad. Her brother. And, from what you told me, her husband and son, as well. Sh-t, her entire family. every last one. Maybe that's why she's like this in this time."

"You're not kidding, are you?" Jeff blinked. "You really _are _from the past. From when times were better."

"Yeah. I am," Roger dropped into a chair, throwing back his head in discouragement. "I wish I had a way to get back, though."

"Maybe… you do," Jeff walked over. "It's why I was on the supply run today. I was looking for some things for it."

"What are you…"

"I might not look it, Roger. But this old body is home to a great mind in inventions. I've been working on an invention of sorts. It's not ready, but if some of your friends could fetch it and bring it here, I could have it complete and working in about… a month or so."

"What kind of invention?" Roger asked, slightly confused. Jeff smiled kindly.

"A time ray."

"Time ray? You mean… like a _time machine_?!"

"For want of a better term."

"Are you serious?" Roger jumped to his feet. "You really can send me back?"

"If my theory is correct."

"Well, were is it!? Your time ray, where can we find it!?"

"I take it you're willing to take the chance," Jeff assumed.

"Jeff, to get back to my time, to see Mimi and my friends, I'd be willing to throw myself from the top of the Chrysler Building!" Roger cried, hurrying out of the room to tell the others about Jeff's invention.

* * *

The weeks went by, to Roger, like molasses. Every chance he got, he'd stop by to check up on Jeff's progress on his retrieved time ray. But he always had the same answer. The time beam wasn't completed yet. However, one day, this all changed. Roger and Penny were returning from a supply run and depositing the goods in the storage room when Roger made a discovery. By chance, he glanced up at the wall to see his old fender was fastened to the wall.

"I don't believe it!" Roger ran a hand across the familiar instrument. "I was thinking this was destroyed when the Loft got to its current state."

"It almost was," Penny laughed. "But Mimi went back for it."

"Mimi?" Roger turned in surprise.

"Yeah. We heard a warning that the Enforcers were making a sweep through Alphabet City. We evacuated the building, but then when we were almost out, Mimi realized that they left the fender. She went back for it and was almost caught in the explosion. Benny, who was just starting out as our mole, was secretly helping us escape, but when he saw Mimi going back inside, he went after her. He managed to get her, and that fender, out of there before the grenade shattered the wall. But he got hit by the debris. That's how he lost his arm."

"Mimi… she risked her life for this?" Roger whispered, stunned.

"She knew how much it meant to you, Roger," Penny shrugged. "I suppose she felt it was up to her to keep every little memory of you safe."

"I tell you Penny," Roger announced, returning the fender to its place on the wall. "When I go back…" Just what Roger was about to say Penny never found out. At that moment, Joanne entered the room, looking excited about something.

"Roger, Penny!" she cried. "You have to come quickly! Jeff wants to see you!

* * *

In Jeff's workshop, Roger, Penny, Joanne and Emily watched as Jeff placed the stuffed rabbit, Mr. Twiggers, volunteered by Penny, onto a platform and directed a strange device at the toy.

"If all goes well," Jeff announced, "The stuffed rabbit will be sent forward three minutes into the future."

"Are you sure?" Joanne asked.

"Only one way to find out," Jeff worked out a series of controls on the device which sent a red beam at Mr. Twiggers, who disappeared almost instantly. The group waited for about three minute when a flash of light erupted on the vacant platform, and Mr. Twiggers reappeared.

"As you can see," Jeff grinned, holding up the small stuffed rabbit, which showed no sign of damage, "the time beam is fully operational now. If you still are willing, Roger, we can send you back to your time, just as if you never left. However, I haven't tested it on humans yet. So… your survival isn't guaranteed."

"Then you're just going to have to test it," Emily announced.

"I would Emily, but I'd need to take at least a week to show someone else…"

"Not you," Emily shook her head. "Test it on me."

"You're not serious!" Penny cried as the others turned to Emily in shock. "Mom, you could die!"

"There's a chance I'll choke on my evening meal tonight. Does that mean I should avoid eating?"

"But…." Joanne started.

"You remember how things went when Roger disappeared, Joanne," Emily cut her off. "Perhaps, if he returned to the past, the disasters that tore this family apart would never take place."

"What disasters?" Roger looked between his friends.

"Roger," Penny sighed. "The thing is… in the mist of your disappearance, while some accepted that you were gone forever, others, like Mimi for example, refused to believe you were dead. In the end, there was a serious augment between Collins and Mark, and the family sort of split in two. If you had been there, perhaps we would have stayed together. There's strength in numbers, after all. I strongly believe that if we'd all been together, instead of separated by bitterness, maybe Mark would have filmed and exhibited Maureen's first protest against Perelli, which could open everyone's eyes to what he was really like. Or Collins would have accepted Mom's call when she tried to warn him the Enforcers were seen lurking around his place the day he had died…" Penny trailed off, rubbing at her now over-bright eyes.

"Roger," Emily sighed. "If this works, and you can go back, and you can do whatever you can to keep us together, perhaps Perelli would have been stopped right off the back, and none of this madness would ever happen. That's why I'm asking you, Jeff, to test the machine on me first. If I die, then you'll know you need to make some more adjustments. Roger _must _go back. Once he does, there's a chance that this reality will cease to exist."

"It's Roger's call, I'm afraid," Jeff shrugged. Roger studied Emily's face for a moment before reaching his decision.

"If you're willing to risk your life to help me get back home, Emily, I suppose I can't stop you, can I?"

"No, you can't," Emily approached the platform. "Do it, Jeff."

"All right," Jeff bent over his controls. "I'm sending you three minutes into the future as well. Good luck, Emily." Once again, the red beam shot out of the device, making Emily disappear. The remnants of the Bohemian family waited nervously for three minutes to pass by. Just when they were starting to worry that something had went wrong, Emily reappeared.

"Mom!" Penny breathed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm still breathing," Emily replied. "Well Jeff, looks like it works."

"In that case, I suppose it's time," Jeff looked over to Roger. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yes. Just about," Roger smiled in response before turning to his friends. "Well, guess this is it."

"It was good seeing you again, Roger," Joanne hugged him goodbye.

"Hey, don't forget," Penny pointed out. "Roger will be back in the past. None of us will have realized he left." Roger grinned at the strawberry blond haired girl.

"In any event, I'm somewhat glad I had that accident. At least I got to see what you look like all grown up. I probably won't have that chance back in my time."

"Don't be so negative!" Penny bit back a choked sob, copying Joanne's earlier gesture. Emily, standing a short distance away, gave Roger a nod.

"We'll see you," Emily spoke.

"Oh, none of that new war-induced attitude!" Roger laughed, pulling Emily into a brotherly hug. "I know the old Emily is still in there." It took a moment, but Emily relented and returned the hug.

"Good luck, Roger," Emily said, backing up and allowing Roger space to step up onto the platform. Seconds before he could reach it however, Tyler raced into the room.

"Forgive the interruption!" Tyler panted, looking out of breath and frazzled. "But… Mr. Coffin is sending us a live feed from the processing camp in Sector Z. Emily, Joanne, you…. I strongly feel you need to see this."

* * *

Moments later, the group stood in Alpha Base's briefing room. On the large screen, there was an image of a muddy looking street, lined with rickety wooden huts. A large handful of scared looking people were being escorted into the processing camp by some Enforcers. As the people walked through the streets, one of them stumbled.

"Get up!" an Enforcer kicked the fallen person fiercely. Almost instantly, a lone figure appeared, shoving the Enforcer aside and helping the person up. As the person hurried off, the Enforcer yanked the merciful figure to his feet, delivering a blow to his face. The blow knocked a pair of glasses with a cracked lens off the figure's face. The figure dropped to the ground, huddled in a defensive position until the Enforcers had moved on. The remaining Bohemians, Jeff and Tyler watched as the figure reached out for his glasses, wiping away a small flow of blood flowing from his nose, and returned them to his face, covering his blue eyes. The second they could see his face, Roger felt his heart stop. The person's face was bruised and scratched, but even now, he'd recognize him anywhere.

"Oh…" Joanne gasped as Penny's hands flew to her mouth and a weird noise sprang out of Emily's throat. Roger swallowed before finding the energy to speak.

"Mark."

* * *

"All this time," Penny groaned, as the friends sat together. "All this time, we never knew what happened. He went on a supply run, but the Enforcers arrived in the middle of it. We never found his body. We assumed he'd died."

"We have to get him out of there," Roger declared. "That's my best friend in there."

"Roger, be reasonable," Joanne reasoned. "It's dangerous for starters. And another thing, you don't belong in this time. If you go back, this reality will cease to exist."

"But what if it doesn't?" Roger shouted. "Joanne, I can't abandon him now. Mark stayed by my side through everything, including my heroin addiction and withdrawal. He never gave up on me. He never left. And now it's _my _turn to return the favor. If I just forget I saw him in this place, how can I seriously call myself Mark's best friend?"

"But I thought you wanted to go back, Penny pointed out.

"I still do, but I waited almost five weeks. I can wait a bit longer." Roger looked over at Emily, who had been quiet since they had learned Mark's fate. She was sitting in the corner of the room, her eyes clenched shut, almost as if they were trying to prevent tears from escaping. Noticing this, Joanne moved over to her.

"Emily, I realize this is probably hardest on you," she spoke gently.

"I thought... I thought I'd never see him again after that supply run when the Enforcers took him," Emily whispered in a strangled voice. "First Roger appears out of the blue. Now Mark. Oh, Joanne! He's alive! I'm with Roger on this one. Mark's alive! We can get him back. _I_ can get him back. You should realize how much I wanted that, after…"

"After your son," Joanne sighed, rubbing Emily's back comfortingly. Roger watched the two women for a moment, slightly confused. What did Emily's son have to do with all of this? Then it clicked. Jeff had told him Emily's husband had been taken by the Enforcers during a supply run, and Penny had just said the same about Mark. Emily's reaction to seeing Mark in the live feed of the processing camp confirmed it. It was not a coincidence.

"I'll get him back, Emily," Roger vowed. "I'll get Mark out of that processing camp and back here. Even if I have to die trying. That's a promise." Emily looked up with dry eyes.

"Roger, if you're intending to infiltrate the processing camp, you need to understand what could happen if you're caught."

"Yeah, they'll kill me," Roger nodded.

"Listen to Emily," Joanne demanded. "Perhaps you'll understand the magnitude of the danger if we show you No Man's Land."


	7. From This Nightmare

Roger looked out on the patch of land that had once been Tompkins Square Park. It was no longer the peaceful hangout it once was, and objects that resembled stone pillars lined the grounds as far as the eye could see.

"This is No Man's Land?" Roger turned to Emily and Joanne. "Why's it called that? There's nothing but those pillars."

"You need to get a better look at the pillars to get the full measure of Perelli's madness," Emily replied. "Come with us. You need to understand what kind of man we're dealing with." Roger followed the girls though the pillars. As he passed one, he glanced over and instantly stopped in shock and disgust. Encased in the pillar, behind glass, was a decapitated human head.

"Keep moving, Roger," Joanne ordered. "It gets worse."

"That's a human head!" Roger cried.

"That's what happens if you're found going against Perelli," Emily spoke flatly. "Keep moving. There are a few things here you must see." The shaken Roger continued through the pillars until Emily and Joanne stopped at one. Looking up, Roger saw this pillar also had a head sealed inside.

"Dr. Jordan," Roger breathed, recognizing the middle-aged man.

"He was found guilty of working in underground markets, distributing AZT pills to AIDS patients," Joanne explained. "Well, seeing how Perelli outlawed the sale and production of AZT after his order to round up all AIDS patients, this was the punishment. Now, we have to move on. This isn't the only thing here we need to show you." Roger followed them to two more pillars. The heads in these pillars also were shockingly familiar. The heads of Paul and Officer Kurtz.

"Oh, sh-t," Roger groaned. "What… why'd he kill them?"

"Paul had two counts against him," Emily announced. "Having HIV, of course. But there was more. When the Enforcers came for him, they discovered that he was also harboring other AIDS patients in his home, along with others who Perelli had condemned to death. As for Officer Kurtz.…" Emily trailed off. For the briefest moment, Roger saw a slight hint of emotion in Emily's hardened eyes. He could understand why. Officer Kurtz had been the best friend of Emily's beloved older brother, Zack, and the cop had been like an uncle to her. But then, almost as instantly as it had appeared, the sadness vanished and Emily became serious once again. "Officer Kurtz was ordered to execute Paul. He refused."

"So they killed him," Roger realized.

"Eventually," Joanne said bitterly. "Before he was killed, he was forced to watch as Perelli's Enforcers burned his wife and young child alive." Roger winced. "Good to see you're getting the picture."

"Is… is there anything else you want me to see here?" Roger's voice shook with mixed emotions.

"Y…yes," Joanne whispered. "If… you'd…" At that moment, Joanne let out a strangled sob, trying to fight off tears.

"Joanne," Emily spoke softly. "You can stay here, if you want. You don't have to go on. I can show him alone."

"Thank you, Emily," Joanne nodded. Emily turned to Roger.

"This way." Roger stiffly followed Emily to the very edge of the field of pillars. Finally, Emily stopped and gestured to one of them. The moment Roger saw whose head was inside the pillar, he felt his legs grow weak.

"Maureen," Roger moaned. "Oh, Go…"

"She was forming a protest, as always," Emily explained. "A protest against Perelli and his policies. I still keep pictures of it, with her dressed up like the Constitution. In the middle of it, the Enforcers came and dragged her off. A week later, they placed this pillar." Roger moved slowly to the pillar, looking at the remains of his friend. It was then that he felt an unquenchable hatred toward Perelli and his Enforcers, a hatred he'd never experienced before.

"What kind of man would…?" Roger growled.

"Now you understand," Emily nodded. "Now, come. We need to get back."

"Is Mimi here?" Roger spoke suddenly. "I… I have to see her. Take me to her pillar, please."

"Pillar?" Emily turned to the musician. "Roger. Mimi doesn't have a pillar."

'Then… where is she?" When Emily didn't reply, Roger persisted. "Please, Emily. I need to know." Finally, Emily lowered her head.

"Mimi is back at Alpha Base. I'll have Penny take you to her when we return. But…you won't like what you see."

* * *

Once back at Alpha Base, Roger allowed Penny to lead him down a long corridor that ended with a door. The room that existed behind the door was completely empty, apart from something that looked like a hyperbaric chamber that had a person inside it. Roger's heart immediately sank upon recognizing his Mimi. Slowly he stumbled forward, falling on his knees beside the chamber.

"How'd this happen, Penny?" Roger whispered.

"Remember when we told you how she and Mom infiltrated one of Perelli's testing facilities ten years ago? Well, like we said, none of us are sure exactly what happened that night. But we had a radio communication link with them, the one that we were using to keep track of things. Through that, all things sounded like it was going well, and they were close to successfully shutting the facility down. Then we picked up Mimi's voice, shouting a warning. Next second, the communication link went dead. Two hours went by. Then Mom returned, carrying Mimi, who was in this coma. Our medical officers also found faint traces of this unidentifiable mutagenic bacteria in her blood stream. My guess is that there was an accident, and she came in contact with some of the stuff Perelli was trying to create as a weapon. Because of her HIV status, she was placed in this chamber, putting her in some kind of suspended animation that would prevent the bacteria, and the virus, from multiplying further, hopefully until our medical officers could figure out a way to help her. But now they're saying, even if they _do _find a way to extract this bacterium, her body has adjusted too well to being in the chamber. If they try removing her now, there's a 90-percent chance that it'll kill her." Roger, with a shaky sigh, looked back at Penny to see that she was chewing her lower lip in a very Mimi-like way. Now that he gave Penny a good look, she seemed to have made a conscious effort to strongly resemble Mimi. Even her nails had been painted in that familiar metallic blue color. It was then that he remembered that Penny and Mimi had shared a strong big/little sister bond. It shouldn't have surprised him that Penny had strived to take after her.

"I'm sorry, Roger," Penny spoke again, wiping away a fresh tear. "I realize it must be hard for you to see her like this."

"T… thank you for showing me, Penny," Roger choked, turning back to Mimi. "I'll… just be a moment."

"I understand," Penny nodded, stepping out of the room. "Take all the time you need." Roger barely heard the door close as he gazed at Mimi's face, his eyes going over every contour. Slowly, he reached out to rest a hand against the side of the chamber that separated them, wishing only to just feel her soft skin, but knowing that it was impossible, and that she could never leave her current state. Instantly, the tears he had been trying to hold back escaped him, and he placed his forehead against the chamber surface.

"I'm so sorry, Mimi," He sobbed. "I should have been here to protect you. I should have… I should have done a _lot _of things."

* * *

**AN: **Sorry for leaving it at such a sad moment. But you have been asking what happened with the other Bohemians. Hope this answers your questions. I'm hoping to have this story done by the end of the year, but I can't promise that. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed.


	8. Cursed

**AN:** I know it's been a while, but I've been busy with other things, and got a little sidetracked. Don't you hate it when you know what you want to write, but can't seem to translate it into writing? Anyway, I'm back with a small update. Hope you like it.

* * *

Roger filled the following days by dividing his time between training sessions and meetings with his friends to come up with a plan. But each plan contained too many flaws and loose ends to be seriously considered. However, that changed on the day Benny managed to slip away from his duties in Perelli's service to stop by Alpha Base, along with a rough sketch of the processing camp Mark was being held in.

"There might be a way to plant one of us into the processing camp as an Enforcer," Benny announced. "I can convince Perelli to take on a new recruit without much trouble. That's one of the benefits of being a mole. All of them trust me completely. Once the plant has made contact with Mark, he or she would use their given authority to get enough time alone with him to tell him of the plan. Now, about once every Wednesday, a small supply van containing food for the Enforcers is parked by this complex here. The plant can hijack this van when it's unattended, because it's usually unattended for about a minute and a half past noon, and use it to get Mark out."

"A minute and a half isn't much time," Joanne pointed out.

"I know," Benny nodded. "But it's the only chance we have, so everything has to be done exactly right. The problem is selecting a plant."

"What problem?" Roger looked up sharply. "You got one right here."

"Roger, you can't be serious," Benny tried to reason.

"I am, Benny. Why do you think I've spent all this time getting training? I decided _I'd _be the one to get Mark out the moment I saw he was in this mess. I'm the only one who can do it, don't you see? They know Emily, Joanne and Penny too well. I'm the only one they won't recognize. It's the only option open to us." After a pause, a faint smile appeared on Benny's face.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd actually take this much time to think things through. The Roger I knew functioned on impulse, on the heat of the moment."

"People can change. You should know that better than anyone."

"When will you be ready to do this, Roger?"

"Any time."

"Right. I'll be back tomorrow for you. Until then, I need to get back before I'm missed." With that, Benny left.

"Roger," Penny stated, walking up to him. "If this is really something you're willing to do, if you want them to believe you're one of them, you must look the part." Roger glanced at his reflection, taking note of his long, unruly locks, and stubble-covered face.

"What did you have in mind?" Roger questioned.

* * *

The next day, Joanne stood outside Roger's room with Emily, waiting for Roger and Penny to emerge and reveal Roger's Enforcer disguise. Finally, Penny stepped out, looking deeply amazed.

"He's ready," she announced, moving aside to reveal a young, clean-shaven man with neatly cut dirty blond hair. The young man looked over at Joanne and Emily, who were glancing back with curious expressions.

"Joanne, Emily, you're looking at me as if you've never seen me in your lives," Roger laughed, raising his eyebrows in a very Roger-like way.

"I don't believe it," Emily smirked, looking him up and down. "Roger Davis! Your old band mate, Robbie, was right. You really _do _look like a completely different person with your hair short." Roger cast Emily a slightly roguish grin that contained a faint trace of sadness.

"Emily, you shouldn't look so surprised," he pointed out. "You've seen me with short hair once, remember?"

"I never…"

"The morning _she_ died. Remember?" It took a second before Emily realized who 'she' was, but the moment she made the connection, she stiffened and looked away uncomfortably.

"Well, it's your call," Joanne announced, trying to break the uneasiness. "When will you be ready to do this?"

"Right now," Roger replied, his face set with determination.

"Then you'll be off as soon as Benny arrives for you." Roger was about to follow when he realized Emily was still looking uncomfortable.

"Hey, don't tell me you're _still _blaming yourself for what happened to her," Roger blinked. "You did what you could for her, as I recall. There was nothing…"

"It's nice that you can forgive me for _that_, Roger," Emily hissed. "But you wouldn't be so quick if you knew that wasn't my _only _sin that hurt you."

"What are you talking about?" Roger stared, confused.

"Benny will be arriving for you any moment, Roger," Emily quickly changed the subject, turning to walk off. "You shouldn't keep him…"

"No!" Roger grabbed Emily's arm to keep her from leaving. "Emily, you're not leaving without explaining that. What sin? What did you do?"

"Please, don't…"

"Answer me! Come on, Emily. I'm the one who runs, not you. Can't you just…"

"Roger, _I'm _the one who's responsible for what happened to Mimi, okay?" Emily shouted, rounding on him.

"What?" Roger's eyes widened, stunned.

"Mimi and I, went on that mission together. The plan was that she'd set some timed detonators on the holding tanks for whatever it was Perelli was working on, and I'd sabotage the door to lock the door to the place, so the Enforcers would be trapped inside. She did her part, and had joined me at my post, when the Enforcer's discovered us. Mimi, she…" Emily trailed off, looking hurt.

"Emily, please tell me what happened."

"There was only one door that could have been used for escape, one that could only be sealed from the inside. Mimi purposely lagged behind to close it behind me. I didn't realize she was going to do that until after she did it. She trapped herself inside the building with the Enforcers, and the mutagenic bacteria, knowing full well the bombs were going to go off any second. Just to give me the chance to live." Hearing this made Roger's breath freeze in his throat.

"I swore I wouldn't let anyone else die for my sake again!" Emily screamed in anguish. "Mom! Dad! Zack! My son! And then Mimi! What's worse… Roger, it's my fault you lost _both_ of your loves. I've always been a cursed person. So, please don't say I'm forgiven, Roger. Because how can you, when I can't forgive myself?" Before Roger could say another word, Emily disappeared down the hall.


	9. Infiltration

In a towering high rise, a self-assured looking man was leaning back in a plush padded chair, looking down at the war-torn city. This was Perelli. At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Perelli called. The door opened and two men entered. "Ah! Mr. Coffin!" Perelli smiled, recognizing Benny, and scrutinizing the other man, who was looking at him with unblinking green eyes. "What brings you here? And who is your friend?"

"Davis, sir," The young man replied evenly. "I wish to join your Enforcers."

"Do you now? I see. And what makes you think you could be of use to us?"

"If I might, Perelli," Benny inputted. "I've known Davis personally for many years now. I can honestly say that he will finish any task given to him, due to his nature of being more stubborn then an old mule. And he's always ready to do what needs to be done."

"Is that right?" Perelli looked Roger up and down. "I might just have use for this one. After all, Mr. Coffin, you've never presented me with poor offers. Take him to the initiation room. Davis can wait there for a few moments, so I can summon a superior Enforcer. That way, the new recruit can learn the ropes easier. Welcome aboard, Davis."

"Thank you, sir," Roger nodded quickly, and stepped out of the room with Benny. The two moved down the corridor calmly, with neutral expressions on their faces. Once they rounded the corner, however, Roger gave out a low groan and rested his forehead against the wall.

"You okay?" Benny asked.

"That was harder then I thought," Roger admitted. "My friends, Maureen, Collins and Mimi. They're dead, or worse. And it's all because of him. And that's not including the fact that Mark is…"

"I know. You wish you could just kill him, right then and there," Benny nodded in understanding. "You just have to remember that doing so would make you no better them him."

"Yeah. I know," Roger took a steadying breath to collect himself. "Well, let's do this."

"Okay, then. This is where I leave you," Benny gestured to a room nearby. "I have other things to do."

"Hey, Benny," Roger called as he started to walk off. "I forgot to tell you before. Thanks."

"For what?"

"Penny told me how you lost your arm, Ben." Benny blinked in surprise, his real hand instinctively touching his prosthetic arm. "And you didn't just risk your life for her, but you're doing the same thing every day for the rest of us. So, because of all that, I have to say, thank you."

"What can I say?" Benny nodded. "I may have lost my way once, long ago, Roger. But I've never forgotten that you and I were once friends. Good luck, Roger." Without another word, Benny exited the hall.

* * *

The processing camp's gates opened, letting in the group of enforcers. From his place outside one of the wooden huts, a weary-faced Mark watched the group line up for orders, as the head Enforcer of the camp gave each one a post and command. Two of them eventually made their way over to him. Lowering his head, Mark listened as one of the enforcers rattled on about protocol to the other, who obviously was recently brought on board.

"Bear in mind, it's been a long time since we had anyone here who was contaminated with the virus," the Superior Enforcer was saying. "Perelli's master plan successfully wiped them out of existence. Mostly, it's just low-lives and troublemakers, now. Like this one here." Without further warning, the superior enforcer dealt a hefty blow to Mark's temple, knocking him to the ground. "Caught this one during a round up of illegal solicitors. But he'd been trouble long before then." Mark bit his lower lip, holding back a reply as the Superior Enforcer moved on. He'd learned long ago that it was best not to answer back. Out of the corner of his eye, Mark saw the Novice Enforcer walk up to him. He instinctively tensed up, bracing himself for the blow that was coming. However, instead of being struck, the Enforcer crouched down and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"Where's your scarf, Cohen?" A voice whispered into his ear. Mark's eyes snapped open in surprise. That voice! He'd know it anywhere. Looking up slowly, Mark looked at the very familiar green eyes and dirty blond hair.

"Roger?" Mark croaked in disbelief. "You're alive?"

"Miss me, buddy?" Roger grinned cheekily. Before Mark could reply, an enforcer approached.

"Davis, is this one bothering you?" The Enforcer barked, glaring at Mark.

"N…" Roger stopped, coming up with a split-second idea. "Actually, he is. I request permission to deal with him on my own. I'm not exactly thrilled with the way he just looked at me." The Enforcer looked from Mark to Roger with a wicked smile.

"Permission granted. It's not everyday we get a recruit who's so eager to get started in keeping _them_ in line on the first day." Roger pulled Mark to his feet, trying to appear rougher then he was actually being, and led him into one of the huts. As soon as they were out of sight, Mark turned to Roger and broke down, pulling him into a brotherly hug which Roger returned.

"You're alive!" Mark gasped between long suppressed tears. "How did you…"

"Does it matter?"

"No. Guess not. Roger, what are you doing here, of all places?"

"To get you out, of course. To get you back to Alpha Base."

"Alpha Base? You mean it's not gone? They haven't discovered the location yet?"

"Yes, it's still there. And we're getting you back there."

"You… you're not serious," Mark's eyes widened in stunned fear. "Escape the processing camp?"

"You got it, Mark." Roger nodded, and told him the plan Benny had came up with. "So, we're getting you out on Wednesday."

"Can we?" Mark asked unsurely.

"Of course! You want to, don't you? There's no way you want to stay _here_."

"I… I _do _want to leave but…" Mark turned away, looking very hesitant. "My courage, my spirit.... It's… so much less then it once was." Roger was quiet for a moment, contemplating this. Mark had been here for over a year, from what he'd been told. A year of undergoing who knew what kind of harsh and cruel treatment. It must have been enough to dishearten anyone. Roger knelt next to Mark, laying a sympathetic hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Mark, _Emily _would be _very _happy to see you again." Mark looked up slowly upon hearing this. "Think about that, buddy. She's waiting back home for you. I know you don't want to disappoint her, right?" For a brief second, Roger noticed a hopeful, determined gleam shine in Mark's eyes. Taking this as a good sign, he persisted. "We _can _get you out of the processing camp, believe me." Mark remained quiet for a moment, but then replied.

"Yes." Mark smiled slightly. "I think I do."


	10. Escape

**AN:** The 'Escape from the Camp' starts in this chapter. It's inspired by the escape scene in Watership Down. Love that book; I've read it six times. I recommend it. (It only seems like a story about rabbits, but it's actually like a metaphor for society.)

* * *

Sometime between midnight and early morning, Roger snuck out of the Enforcer Barracks and quietly moved to the fence surrounding the camp. Waiting there in the shadows was Benny.

"How's it going?" Benny whispered.

"So far, so good. Just to review, Once we get out on the supply van…"

"You just get it to what used to be Wallabout Bay. A handful of us will be waiting there with an old ferryboat some Alpha Base members managed to capture a while back. That will take you the rest of the way to West Street."

"Tell me again, what makes ferry boats harder to track then supply vans?"

"Because the Enforcers are known to dock ferry boats everywhere for picking up prisoners. Supply vans rarely enter Manhattan."

"Right. That makes sense," Roger nodded. "Benny, there's been a slight change of plans."

"What do you mean?" Benny looked slightly worried. "Is something wrong?"

"No. I mean, it's not just gonna be Mark I'm getting out. I've seen how it is here, and I can't turn a blind eye on the other people here. I'm getting as many as I can out."

"Roger," Benny hissed urgently. "Do you have any idea how much harder that will make things?"

"Yeah, I know. But I can't just pretend I don't see what's happening here. Concentrating only on Mark, and forgetting everyone else, and leaving them here? Wouldn't that make me just as bad as Perelli?"

"Well," Benny replied evenly. "When you put it _that _way…"

"Okay then, just make sure the ferry boat is where it's supposed to be on Wednesday," Roger stated quickly. "We'll only get one chance, so we have to make it count. I need to get back before someone notices I'm gone."

"See you in two days, then," Benny nodded. "And Roger? Good luck."

"You too."

* * *

Roger stood looking around the camp, trying to keep his anxiety in check. At this time tomorrow, he'd be taking Mark and a group of the other prisoners away to Alpha Base. Mark had been talking to a few of the prisoners in secret to inform them of the plan, so they'd be ready when the time came. All that was left now was waiting. Trying to push aside any worry about what would happen if something went wrong, if the timing of any step in the plan was off, he headed off to the post he'd been assigned that day.

"Davis!" Roger stopped immediately upon hearing the camp's Leading Enforcer call him, walking up with a Subordinate Enforcer. "I was told someone saw you leaving the bunkers last night. What were you doing?"

"I…" Roger tried to hide his nervousness. "Actually sir, I had heard a rather suspicious noise out in the camp. I thought I should see what was causing it. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, though. It must have been some animal of some kind."

"Hmm," the Leading Enforcer frowned in contemplation. "In the future, Davis, you will request permission before investigating any nocturnal sounds."

"Understood," Roger turned to walk off.

"Another thing, Davis," the Leading Officer spoke again. "There is a task I'd like you to perform tomorrow."

"What task, Sir?"

"We have just received orders from Perelli this morning. He thinks it's time to make another example to the rebels who are opposed to the New Order."

"When you say 'example'," Roger responded slowly, "you mean, those pillars in No Man's Land, don't you?"

"Precisely. And it just so happens we have an old rebel in this camp. What was the name? Cohen?" Roger hoped that the Leading Enforcer hadn't noticed the shock that had flashed across his face upon hearing this. If he had, he didn't acknowledge it. "Anyway, he's to be taken out tomorrow at noon."

_Noon_?! Roger's worry increased. That was just about the time when they planned to escape. This made things even harder.

"Davis, I want you to keep the others out of the way, where they can't interfere. Is that understood?" Roger looked from the Leading Enforcer to the subordinate flanking him, then back again.

"Yes, Sir," Roger nodded stiffly before hurrying off before he could be called back.

"Krause!" the Leading Enforcer turned to his subordinate, keeping a suspicious eye on Roger. "Keep watch on him. Don't let him out of your sight."

* * *

The day had come. Roger, as he was ordered, stood in the entryway of the hut that held the camp prisoners to keep them in order. Swallowing hard, he chanced a glance out of the door, taking in the situation. The supply van was right where Benny had said it would be, just across the way and a little to the right. To the left, on the other hand, a random Enforcer was standing guard over Mark, awaiting the group that would be taking him away to be killed. It was going to be a long shot now, but there was no turning back now. It was now or never.

"Right," Roger whispered to the waiting prisoners. "Mark told you all what to do. You have to get to the supply van. Don't stop or slow down."

"But what about Mark?" one prisoner asked.

"I'll take care of it," Roger insisted, trying to sound more confident then he actually felt. "Now get ready to run. There's no time for mistakes, here." On that note, Roger moved away from his post and headed to the Enforcer guarding Mark.

"I have a message for you," Roger told the Enforcer. "The scheduled transport of this rebel has been postponed."

"I was not informed of this," the Enforcer stated flatly.

"Well, you'll understand why, if you look over there," Roger nodded to where the other prisoners were making a break for the supply truck. Seconds before the Enforcer could call for more Enforcers to round the prisoners up, Roger lunged at him.

"Mark, now!" Roger shouted as he wrestled with the Enforcer. Mark hesitated for only a second before making his way to the supply van. As Mark climbed into the back with the assistance of two other prisoners, he glanced back to see Roger hurrying over, slightly limping. The Enforcer's still form could be seen propped up against one of the huts.

"Did you…?" Mark questioned in shock.

"He's knocked out, that's all!" Roger shot back, adrenaline and slight dread of something going wrong made his response harsher then he intended. "Now get in, and stay down!" As soon as everyone was in, Roger started the supply van up and sped straight to the gate, not even bothering to slow down, resulting in the supply van crashing through the gates.

* * *

Elsewhere, Krause the Enforcer dashed into the hut where the Leading Enforcer was going over some plans.

"Sir! It's the new recruit, Davis!"

"What of him?"

"He's gone! He's attacked Pelchat, and drove off with the rebels with him!"

"That treacherous…! Krause! Get the Enforcers together! He can't have gotten too far."

* * *

**AN:** The next chapter's going to be short. It'll just showing what happens when Roger, Mark and the other escaped prisoners make it back to Alpha Bace. (Expect it soon.) The chapter after that one will most likely be even longer, with lots of action.


	11. AN: OY! Facepalm!

I'm sorry if anyone got excited that I was posting the next chapter, but I'll post that very soon. I just wanted to share this with you.

I have read an amazingly, for lack of a better word, misguided and stupid review of my RENT stories. Check it out

_"Okay. This girl includes her Sue in EVERY FUCKING STORY SHE WRITES. It's a girl named Emily with a hidden, sad past. I couldn't even read it long enough to figure out what the fuck was so sad about it. I've PMed this girl before asking her to please just leave "Emily" out of stories she's not needed in and maybe someone will actually read them. She did not accept my help. Instead, she kept writing herself -- oops! I mean, __Emily into her stories, claiming to not be writing herself in at all... nooo... never..."_

I'm very sorry that this person doesn't like my OC. But since I know I can't please everyone, and most people seem to be okay with her, I continue to write about her. As for the alleged PMs, I don't recall any of them.

And as if it couldn't get worse, then we get to this major 'facepalm' moment:

_"Also, did I add that she's April's sister?_"

At this point, I seriously wanted to get up and bang my head against the wall. When does it ever say that they're related? This person obviously meant it when he said they barely read my stories. For the record, if you're going to write a negative review about something, please make sure you know what you're talking about, unless you want to look stupid. (Bear in mind I'm not usually big on insulting people, but this was just... yeah)

And finally, they close with this:

_"Also also, did I add that DataGirl3 thinks that Roger/Mimi is the "BEST COUPLE EVER"!? Really, I can't respect someone with a mind as sick as that."_

Likewise, I can't respect someone who insults people because they like a certain movie/TV couple. That's like calling someone a retard because they like Mountain Dew above all other soft drinks. You have every right to have preferences. No one has the right to call you dumb because of your preferences.

In closing, If you don't like a story because of an OC, then DON'T READ IT! And if you want to put down the said story, back up your claims with something valid.


	12. Back to Alpha Base

**AN:** I told you I'd have the real chapter up soon, right? Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Roger braked and stopped the supply van when they were a short distance from where his friends were waiting with the ferry boat.

"Okay," Roger moved quickly to the back of the van, helping the escaped slaves get out. "Get going to the bay. The ferry boat's waiting." The slaves obeyed and hurried to the water's edge. As planned, an old ferry boat with large rust stains and pealing paint stood waiting, with Penny, Tyler, and a few others from Alpha Base Roger knew by sight, but not by name standing by. "Keep going," Roger urged to the escaped prisoners, seeing them hesitate at seeing the people on the boat. "They're friends." One by one, Tyler and Penny helped the escapees board.

"Well done, Davis," Tyler complemented when nearly everyone was on the ferry.

"Hey, not over yet, Tyler," Roger pointed out, turning at the sound of vehicles approaching. "There wasn't time for a quiet getaway. The enemy won't take much longer to get here."

"Then we better hurry," Penny noted, holding out a hand to Mark, who had refused to board the ferry until everyone else was on. "Tyler, go tell them to cast off immediately. Ready to go back home, Mark?"

"Never readier," Mark allowed Penny to help him on board with a weary smile as Tyler hurried to the control room. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise." Roger watched with a large grin when Penny and Mark threw their arms around each other in a relieved hug, one worthy of a father and a daughter. The moment was interrupted when a small handful of Enforcer-filled trucks appeared.

"Davis!" The Leading Enforcer emerged from one of the trucks. "You dare betray Perelli?!"

"Roger, get on!" Penny urged. Roger, however, appeared deaf to Penny's voice, and glared in hatred at the Leading Enforcer.

"My friends are dead because of him," Roger growled, stepping closer, a deadly fire in his eyes. "And you're just as bad as him."

"Leave him, Roger!" Penny cried, trying to snap her friend out of it. "He's not worth it!" At that moment, the ferry started to pull away from the shore. "Roger, hurry! The ferry!" Roger continued to stay put as the Leading Enforcer approached him slowly.

"Come on, Rog!" Mark shouted. "Don't stoop to his level! Killing him would make you just like him!" Mark's words instantly succeeded where Penny's had failed. The murderous look on his face vanished completely and he immediately turned and took a running leap for the moving ferry, just barely managing to cling to the edge of the stern of the ferry by his arms. Mark and Penny helped pull him up the rest of the way. Looking back, they saw the horde of Enforcers watching their escape, the most furious expression on the Leading Enforcer's face.

* * *

The return to Alpha Base was better the Roger would have imagined. Apparently, many of the escaped prisoners were friends and loved ones of the Alpha Base members, and people were going back and forth between reunions with their reclaimed allies and showering him with gratitude, complete with thankful hugs and handshakes. One woman was so grateful, she'd even placed a tearful kiss on his cheek. After a few moments, Roger noticed Emily watching from the edge of the crowd. The second he saw her, he remembered what she had told him before he'd gone off to infiltrate the Processing Camp. Hesitating for only a second, Roger smiled in her direction before turning to Mark, who had been standing at his side, and pointed Emily out to him, almost chuckling at the jovial look that instantly appeared in his friend's face. However, before Mark could go up to her, Roger held him back for a moment.

"Tell her for me, Mark," Roger whispered. "Tell her… I don't blame her at all for what happened with Mimi," Mark nodded grimly, a sign Roger took to mean that his best friend knew what he was talking about. Seconds after Mark started to make his way through the crowd, Joanne appeared at Roger's side.

"I suppose you're planning to go back to _your _time now, Roger," she stated. "Now that we've gotten so many people back, I mean."

"Well," Roger pretended to think, keeping an eye over at Mark and Emily, who were now talking, standing very closely to one another, "I suppose... leaving _now _would be just wrong. Hellos and welcome backs, interrupted by a sudden goodbye? Too much like biting into an uncooked center in a soy burger." Without another word, Roger stood back to watch the reunions continue, clearly noting that Mark and Emily were slipping out of the room together. Yeah, he could definitely stick around for a little longer, if only for the chance to see his friends genuinely happy for the first time since his arrival in this time.

* * *

**AN:** Hey, a chapter ending on a high note! Lol. Next chapter will be longer, I anticipate. It will be quite dark, though, so enjoy the happiness while it lasts. (I promice the story will end good, so don't worry too much.) Until next time...


	13. Judgment Day

**AN: **The end starts now. There will be a lot of death and darkness in this chapter, but like I said before, it will all end good.

* * *

Alpha Base was in the mist of a state of peace. Perelli's Enforcers hadn't been seen in quite some time. While sentries still went about their appointed duties, the Alpha Base Members were taking full advantage of the quiet period. At the current time, Roger, Joanne, Mark, Emily and Penny were sitting around the Main Hall, joined by Tyler and Jeff, sharing a lunch Joanne had prepared, simply relaxing and joking around. For a moment, Roger was strongly reminded of the old days, when they'd be simply hanging out in the Loft. One thing was for sure, when he went back to his time tomorrow, he'd never take those moments for granted ever again.

The peaceful moment between the Bohemians was interrupted by the sudden appearance of an Alpha Base member, who looked completely and utterly panicked and fearful.

"Sound the alarm!" he cried. "Everyone, evacuate the base!"

"What's wrong?" Joanne asked in concern.

"Enforcers!" the Alpha Base member cried, pointing in the direction he'd came from. "An entire squadron of them! And Perelli's with them!"

"They found us?!" Penny leapt to her feet in shock.

"No," Mark stiffened. "I'm not going back to that processing camp. I'll die first."

"Then we have to fight," Roger stated.

"You can't be serious," Tyler scoffed. "The Enforcers outnumber us greatly.

"But we have the home-field advantage," Roger pointed out. "Anyway, I'm not going to run. Not after all they've done, especially to Collins and Maureen, and certainly not after what they did to Mark and Mimi. They've hurt my friends, my family, far beyond the point of forgiveness." Behind Roger's back, Emily cast Jeff a meaningful glance, but Roger didn't notice this. "Tyler, what's the plan?"

"Roger," Jeff stepped into the conversation. "How about you and I head down to the storage room? We can gather weapons to fight them with. If that's all right with you, Tyler." Tyler mulled the situation over.

"Right. Roger might have the right idea. In any event, we'd have to hold off Perelli long enough for everyone to get to safety anyway. Jeff and Roger will gather some weapons. Joanne, gather the others and tell them of the situation. Tell them they must prepare to fight. This is our Judgment Day. If anyone is wishing to leave, however, they must be allowed to leave. Penny, I want you to escort those individuals to our Gamma Base. If this place is destined to fall today, then at least some of us will survive. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Penny replied somberly before turning to the others for brief goodbyes, clearly understanding that this might be the last time she'd see her family ever again.

"Roger," Jeff's voice interrupted the musician's thoughts at watching the final farewell. "We need to go, now."

"Okay, Jeff," Roger nodded, before following the old man out of the room. However, Jeff did not bring him to the weapon storage, but to his workshop where the time ray resided. "What's this?" Roger tuned to Jeff in alarm.

"It's time to send you back to your time, Roger."

"I'm not leaving." Jeff laughed in amusement.

"Emily and Mark were right about you. You really _are _stubborn to a fault. But this isn't the time for arguing. There's every possibility that Alpha Base will fall before Perelli and his Enforcers, with no chance of saving it. There's no hope. Our one chance is sending you back. You can save us all by doing whatever you can to prevent all of this from happening right off the back."

"I can't abandon you guys," Roger insisted.

"You need to go back now, Roger," Jeff attempted to reason. "This might be your last chance to go back. Your last chance to see your friends, all of your friends. Your last chance to see that girl of yours, Mimi. If you stay, that chance will be gone. You'll never see any of them again. Think about that. Think hard about that." Roger bowed his head before looking over at the time ray, frowning in consideration.

* * *

Gunfire had been echoing throughout the halls of Alpha Base for almost half an hour. Mark, Joanne, Emily and Tyler were grouped together in their designated sector, giving all they had to defend their home, and trying not to think too much about how many of their friends had already been killed by the Enforcers. In the heat of their battle, a shot hit home in Joanne's leg, forcing her to her knees. Emily immediately dropped to her side to assess the damage while Mark and Tyler covered them. As the fighting went on, an urgent message came through on Tyler's headset radio.

"Tyler!" a defeated voice stated. "The others have all fallen. Your group is all that remains." Tyler clenched his jaw in anguished sorrow. He couldn't believe that they had lost. "They won't take much longer to find me here, Sir. And once they do… Tyler, please get your group out. Alpha Base has fallen."

"Good luck, my friend," Tyler sighed before ending communication. So, the four of them were all that remained alive. "Mark, Emily, Joanne!" Tyler gave one last order. "The three of you get to Gamma Base."

"Tyler…" Joanne tried, but she was cut off.

"I can only hold them off for so long, Joanne. Do not make my sacrifice in vain. Now hurry." With that, Mark and Emily pulled Joanne to her feet and helped her walk off, making sure she didn't put too much weight on her injured leg.

"I hoped this day would never come," Mark spoke solemnly.

"Mark," Emily stopped walking. "We need to stop for a moment."

"But Tyler said…."

"Joanne is loosing too much blood," Emily gestured to their wounded friend's injury, which was indeed bleeding heavily. "We're right next to the supply room. I'm just going to grab something to make a quick bandage, and then we'll continue on."

"Okay. But hurry," Mark relented, looking back down the hall where the sounds of Tyler bravely holding off the Enforcers alone had stopped. As Mark supported Joanne, Emily quickly disappeared into the supply room. To try and calm himself, and to keep his friend conscious, Mark started to talk with Joanne.

"Hang in there, Joanne. Soon we'll have you in Gamma Base. Remember when we were there last? They managed to put up an underground garden there. Remember how we'd all go there for picnics in the beginning?"

"Not… the same," Joanne smiled sadly. "Most of us are no longer…"

"I miss her, too, Joanne. But we'll see her again."

"Allow me to help," an Enforcer suddenly appeared in the hall. Before Mark could react, the Enforcer had finished Joanne off with one shot. Hearing the shot, Emily dashed out of the supply room, the bandages in her grasp falling out of her hand at the sight of her fallen friend. The Enforcer glared at Mark and Emily, paying no head to their grief.

"Well, look at that," the Enforcer taunted cruelly. "You two are all that's left. All your little friends have died. Thus," the Enforcer paused to aim a weapon at the two. "No one is left to miss you."

"Guess again!" a familiar voice announced seconds before a heavy bar crashed down over rhe Enforcer's head. Mark and Emily gaped in surprise as Roger stepped over the unconscious Enforcer and walked to their side.

"Roger, you were supposed to go back to your time!" Mark reprimanded. "Why'd you give up your only chance?"

"I ran away before, if you'd remember. I made a promise long ago I'd never run from problems again. I was through being a coward after Santa Fe. I made my choice. I told Jeff to get out of here and head to Gamma Base. I told him I'd catch up with the rest of you shortly."

"But…"

"Come on Mark. Do you seriously think I could be content back in my time, when I knew I just left you all to die?"

"Suppose not," Mark sighed at Roger's reasoning as the musician knelt by Joanne's body to say goodbye to his friend.

"If only I got here sooner," he noted sadly.

"Mark, Roger," Emily spoke with a strained voice. "The two of you need to go to Gamma Base. You're all that remain of the Bohemians. The survivors of Alpha Base, and those that reside at Gamma Base, need people who remember the world of Bohemia, someone who can keep the spirit alive."

"Well what about you?" Roger blinked. _"You'll _be there to help, too."

"I can help by making sure that you can rebuild the city the way it should be. The Enforcers are like a giant serpent, with Perelli as the head. If you cut off the head, the serpent will die. And that's what I must do, cut off the head of the serpent."

"What do you mean?" Roger instantly regretted his question when Emily turned to them and revealed what was hidden beneath her body suit. She had strapped multiple bombs to herself. "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Roger shouted. "I can't let you…"

"Roger, I've seen too much death in my life. I told you sometime ago, the Emily you knew died long ago. You remember how I couldn't save April. I couldn't save Mimi. I couldn't even save my own son. But I can save the two of you. You two and Penny all that remain of my family. I'll gladly do what must be done to ensure you live on. And the only way to do that is to stop Perelli for good.

"I just got…" Mark whispered. Emily's face softened.

"Mark, you know I must do this. For you and everyone else." Mark nodded numbly before stepping forward for a goodbye embrace.

"Emily. I…"

"I know, Mark. I'll say hello to Collins, Maureen and Angel for all of you." Emily whispered. "Now both of you. Go. Go and don't look back." Together, Mark and Roger obeyed Emily's final wish and hurried out of Alpha Base.


	14. Revival

Perelli roamed the halls of the overthrown Alpha Base, taking in the large amount of bodies from both sides with a cruel satisfaction. As he walked, he chanced upon one still form of a woman with a shaved head. However, he was forced to stop at this body when he saw the hazel eyes on her face betrayed the fact that she was living.

"Well, you're still alive then, are you?" Perelli crouched down at the woman's side, a nasty smile on his face. "Not to worry. We'll take care of _that _soon enough." To Perelli's surprise, the woman looked right up into his eyes without fear, and a self-satisfied grin on her face, as she forced something into his hand.

"For my family," she hissed in contempt. Perelli frowned in confusion as he looked into his hand, seeing the object was a grenade pin. A second later, horrified realization flashed on his face. Taking a knife, Perelli sliced into the woman's body suit, taking in the live bombs that were hidden underneath it. Perelli's face blanched instantly.

* * *

Roger and Mark stood on the roof of a building, where they had a clear view of Alpha Base going up in a ball of fire. Groaning, Roger reached out to squeeze Mark's shoulder in compassion. However, at that moment, debris from the explosion flew straight into the side of the building, shattering the structure. Almost instantly, the section of roof Roger was standing on crumbled away.

"Roger!" Mark shouted as his friend started to fall. The last thing Roger saw before being lost to darkness was Mark's face, watching helplessly as he lost to gravity.

* * *

The very first thing Roger was aware of was something cold and wet being slid across his face. Then he slowly became aware of familiar voices.

"I still say we should call an ambulance."

"No, Joanne. Trust me on this. Roger hates hospitals. He'll murder us if we took him there. Besides, look! He's starting to wake up!" Moaning slightly, Roger forced his heavy eyes open, only to close them quickly to block out the unbearably bright light. Moments later, he tried again, and this time the light was tolerable enough to keep his eyes open. However, he momentarily stopped breathing when the faces of his friends came into focus. They were there in front of him! Collins, Maureen and Joanne were all looking down at him.

"Well, look who's finally decided to join the world of the living!" Collins laughed.

"Collins?" Roger gasped. "You're here!? And Maureen? Joanne? But you're all… Oh, Go… I died. Am I dead?"

"I hope not," Mark's voice replied from behind him. Roger quickly turned to see Mark looking back in relief with Emily and the nine-year-old Penny at his side.

"Good to have you back, Roger," Emily smiled. "You've been out of it for hours now. I was seconds from calling Dr. Jordan." Roger blinked in confusion, looking around the Loft, which was exactly as it was the day he had the accident with the television. How was that possible? Wait! Penny! She was a little girl again! But didn't that mean… No, the time ray was destroyed when Alpha Base blew up. Then how…?

"A dream," Roger groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "It was all a dream."

"Must have been some dream," Penny noted with a large grin. "You kept muttering in your sleep the whole time ." Roger half laughed, half sighed, before looking around. Where was she? He'd seen everyone around him, but her.

"Guys, where's….?" Roger's question was answered before he could finish.

"I was hoping I was really hearing his voice!" Mimi announced, stepping out of the bathroom with a bowl of cold water, a large smile on her face. "Roger Davis, don't you _ever _scare me like that again! We found you passed out on the floor, and I thought you died on me!" Roger said nothing, and simply looked at her. "What are you staring at?" Mimi asked in the same tone of voice she'd adopted that night when they'd first met. Fighting back a laugh, Roger immediately got to his feet, ignoring Joanne's warning that he shouldn't strain himself so fast, and crossed the room in an instant. Without pausing for a second, he pulled Mimi to him for a long, lingering kiss, one that left them both breathless.

"Roger, what was that for?" Mimi asked, not even trying to hide her pleased surprise. "You're acting like you haven't seen me in years."

"You have no idea, Mimi. You have no idea," Roger chuckled, hugging her tightly.

"Hey, Roger, are you okay?" Mark asked. Roger turned back to his friends, smiling broadly at all of them.

"Yeah. I'm just fine. Never been better."

* * *

**AN:** See? Everything ends good, like I said. I'm not sure if I should end the story here, or add an epilogue. Can't decide. But for now, this is the end of this story. My next RENT story that's planned is a one shot called Her Saving Grace. It's a sequel of sorts to Babysitting in July. Hope you'll enjoy it. Until next time, this is Data Girl 3, signing off.


End file.
